"Walking through the city, your boots are high-heeled and shining bright."
Comprised of British experimental composer Anthony Moore (later on just More), German cabaret singer Dagmar Krause, and American singer-songwriter (and sometimes clarinetist) Peter Blegvad, Slapp Happy were pop-deconstructors of the first order. Post-Modernists before the term had any currency, there is a prickly ironic tone permeating their eclectic debut, Sort Of, an album full of quirky pop experiments and amazing "lost gem" moments. Despite having recruited Kraut-Rock legends Faust as their studio backing-band, Slapp Happy's sound on Sort Of is deceptively accessible, even verging on psychedelia-tinged folk-rock in places. The enduring gem here is undoubtedly "Blue Flower," which Mazzy Star covered to great effect on their debut, She Hangs Brightly, a song that bears a striking resemblance (though not in a derivative sense) to The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale." Another gem is the opening track, "Just a Conversation." Anticipating a sound that Richard & Linda Thompson would mine a few years later, the song's overly simple lyrics contrast beautifully with Krause's wonderful vocals. Sort Of does suffer a bit when Krause's vocals are not the main focus, but overall, the album is unconventionally delightful.
